June 2015

The day of Rose's high school graduation dawned bright and sunny. Lissa's eyes scanned the crowd and found Dimitri, and she rushed to join him.

"Bless her heart," she said. "She's worked so hard for this."

"I know," Dimitri replied. "I can't begin to tell you how proud I am of her." Lissa could tell that something weighed heavily on his mind, but she didn't pry.

Dimitri nervously fingered the small box that was in his pants pocket. He hoped that when the opportunity came, his courage wouldn't fail him. Of course it was impossible to predict what Rose's reaction would be, but he felt that he knew her well enough to feel assured that she would at the very least be kind, whatever her decision was.

Several announcements were made, and then 'Pomp and Circumstance' began to play as the graduates walked across the stage to receive their diplomas.

"Most of you have spent four years earning your diplomas," the high school principal said. "Well, it's taken twenty years to earn this one, and my guess is that this is just the beginning. It is with great pride that I welcome Miss Rose Hathaway to the class of 2015."

Everyone clapped and cheered as Rose walked to the front to collect her diploma, then proudly held it up for all her family and friends to see.

When the ceremony ended, Dimitri and Lissa both got in line to hug and congratulate Rose. Janine Hathaway was there, of course, and so were Adrian and Sydney. Tears of joy streamed down Rose's face as she warmly embraced each of her family members.

"I knew you could do it!" Dimitri whispered in her ear when his turn came.

Janine and Sydney both took many photos of Rose holding her diploma, and then the whole family went out for dinner at a nice restaurant. After that, Dimitri took Rose to the park. He hadn't had the chance to be alone with her after the ceremony as he had hoped.

"I'm so proud of you, Roza," Dimitri said as they strolled along hand in hand. "To have come through everything you have and then go back and finish high school is quite an accomplishment!"

"It's only what I should have done twenty years ago." Rose smiled and shrugged.

"What happened to you wasn't your fault. No one thinks any less of you for it."

"I know." Rose saw a pretty flower and stopped to pick it.

"So, what's next for you?" asked Dimitri.

"Next for me?"

"Well, do you want to go on to college?"

"I guess I always just assumed I would, but I feel like I'm too old now." Rose sighed. Dimitri saw that there were tears in her eyes. He stopped walking and turned her around to face him.

"Listen to me, Rose. You are not to old to go to college. I recently heard of a woman who just received her bachelor's degree, and do you know how old she was? Eighty-four!"

"That's nice." Rose smiled.

"Listen, Roza, I'm not trying to pressure you," Dimitri continued. "Of course you don't have to go to college if you don't want to. It's just that I know that you're a very intelligent woman, and it would be a real shame if you didn't live up to your potential. Not that going to college is the only way you could accomplish that," he added quickly.

Rose looked thoughtful. "I think I'd like to do something to help other people like me," she said softly. "You know, people who were in a coma for a long time and then came out of it."

"That's a wonderful idea, Rose." Dimitri beamed. "I'm sure you'll find a way to do just that."

They walked along in silence for a little while, Rose basking in the glow of her recent achievement, Dimitri struggling to find the nerve to ask her what he wanted so badly to.

"Hey, Rose," he said finally. Boy, was this hard.

"Yes?" She looked at him curiously.

"Look, Rose, I...I want to ask you something important. We've been seeing one another for a while now, and...well, I've come to realize that..." Dimitri dropped to one knee. "I love you very much, Rose. Will you marry me?"

Rose gasped with surprise, then looked delighted. "Oh, Dimitri! I'd love to marry you, but..."

"But what?" he asked softly.

"No one knows whether my recovery is permanent, Dimitri. What if I were to slip back into a coma and never awaken? It wouldn't be fair to you to be married to a vegetable."

"Oh, Rose." Dimitri's voice was so soft that it was almost a whisper. "Nobody knows what the future holds. That's why we should live every day to the fullest. Listen, Roza, if we marry, and five years, two years, or even one year down the road, you do slip back into a coma, we would still have the memory of the precious time we did have together to treasure, and to me that would be worth it. On the other hand, if we let fear keep us from taking a chance, all we'll have to look back on is regrets."

"Oh, Dimitri." Rose was crying softly, but there was a big grin on her face. "Since you put it that way, how could I ever say no?"

"So you will, then?"

"Yes, Dimitri. I will."

He took the ring from the box and placed it on her finger. Then he embraced her as if he would never let her go.